Guest guest Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 -Hi Jill, I was diagnosed in June 2002 too. I am a bc coward as well and I was never afraid of anything. Pretty different feelings. Right now I am going through chemo. I was hospitalized last week for 6 days because I had blood clots in my arm and neck, a reaction to the port. Has anyone else ever had that. Now I am on cumadin and waiting to see if Lily strikes. Stay strong Adrienne -- In breastcancer2@y..., Jill Merrill <merrillcat@r...> wrote: > > >Hi Gloria, > > Somehow, I missed something here. I am totally > >confused. > > Join the club. I am usually totally confused. > > > I must have missed your initial letter, so > >could you repeat your history/diagnosis? > > I don't think I posted one. Sorry. What happened was that I somehow managed > to forget my yearly mammogram *twice* in a row, particularly stupid because > my mom died of bc. By " initial presentation " I meant that's the term the > docs use for what shape a patient is in when they are first seen and > diagnosed. After the biopsy from h*ll, I was diagnosed with invasive > intraductal (or maybe interductal, I forget; it spread through my ducts) > cancer. My tumor was 2.5 inches big, not so terrible, but it had spread > through all three of the breast ducts they biopsied and was located in such > a place that surgery would have been dangerous because it would have been > hard to avoid cutting right through the cancer, not a brilliant idea. > Therefore I am doing chemo first, six month's worth, to shrink the tumor so > that I have have a partial radical mastectomy and feel relatively confidant > that the surgery won't actually make the cancer spread. Fortunately, it had > only spread in my breast, not the rest of my body. Then I get radiation and > because my tumor is hormone responsive I get five years of hormone therapy. > Sounds similar to your diagnosis except nothing was remotely inconclusive. > It was definitely cancer and pretty bad at that. I don't know what stage it > is because they had to put off any surgery, even lymph nodes. And when they > finally do the surgery, if my lymph nodes are clear, no one will know if > it's because they were clear all along or if the chemo killed off any > cancer in them. My oncologist guessed I was probably Stage III. > > I don't actually know what " margins " means. I could try to look through my > cancer notes but that kind of stuff depresses and frightens me. I'd guess > it means maybe non-cancerous tissue between areas of cancer? Or > non-cancerous issue between a tumor and, say, a bone or a lung or something > you can't cut through during surgery. I'm guessing my " margins " were too > small for a safe surgery which is why I'm doing the chemo first. But that's > just a guess. > > I thought everyone with bc started with surgery, too, but not me. It was > kind of funny. The surgeon said he thought the oncologist would want to do > chemo first. The oncologist said she thought the surgeon would want to do > chemo first. It was like no one wanted to take responsibility for saying > " Do chemo first! " . At the beginning I felt weird still having the tumor in > me, but I'm used to it now and it's shrinking so I don't mind. Though I > will be VERY glad when I finally get rid of it. I was diagnosed in June > 2002 and will be done with all the treatment somewhere around spring of > 2003. And if I am part of the 40% in my situation for which the cancer > returns within two years I am going to be really mad!!! I'd hate to go > through all this for nothing. Since I'm getting a partial radical > mastectomy, it's not like it can come back in my breast and I can go > through the whole nine yards again. My doctor said if it comes back now, > it's " treatable but terminal " . Which means I guess it's up to me if I want > to die on chemo or not. I try not to think about that one too much. > > Did that make it any clearer? Doubt it! I don't understand the entire > process myself. I don't really want to. I am definitely a bc coward. Or bc > ostrich more like it. > > Jill > > > My history > >might be totally different from yours, but I'll say it > >anyway: Mammo in May 2002 showed nothing, end of July > >doc felt " something, " August needle biopsy was > >inconclusive, ultra sound was suspicious due to ragged > >edges but could be a cyst, needle core biopsy showed I > >had invasive, intraductal breast cancer, partial > >mastectomy on Aug. 16, (3.7 cm, estrogen +, progestren > >-, 5 nodes clear, margins clear), CMF chemo started in > >Sept (for 5-6 months, then radiation for 5-6 weeks, > >then 5 years of anti-estrogen meds). > > I thought " clean margins " meant the margins after > >surgery, or do you mean " not invasive? " What does > > " initial presentation " mean? I just thought that > >anyone with breast cancer started with surgery, then > >there were choices to be made (chemo, radiation, > >etc.). I trust my doctor " team, " but I just am > >curious about your experiences. > >Bye for now, > >Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 we packing up now to leave we are just few left here so will talk when i get back that told us its mandatory to leave they dont want to get traffic back up like when andrew hit so i guess thats why they trying to get us all out will email you all when i get back cheryl Re: Jill and blood clots Hey Cheryl. I live i New Orleans and am hoping Lili just goes away. I hope yu are safe. Thanks for all your support/ Adrienne > > > > >Hi Gloria, > > > Somehow, I missed something here. I am totally > > >confused. > > > > Join the club. I am usually totally confused. > > > > > I must have missed your initial letter, so > > >could you repeat your history/diagnosis? > > > > I don't think I posted one. Sorry. What happened was that I somehow > managed > > to forget my yearly mammogram *twice* in a row, particularly stupid > because > > my mom died of bc. By " initial presentation " I meant that's the > term the > > docs use for what shape a patient is in when they are first seen > and > > diagnosed. After the biopsy from h*ll, I was diagnosed with > invasive > > intraductal (or maybe interductal, I forget; it spread through my > ducts) > > cancer. My tumor was 2.5 inches big, not so terrible, but it had > spread > > through all three of the breast ducts they biopsied and was located > in such > > a place that surgery would have been dangerous because it would > have been > > hard to avoid cutting right through the cancer, not a brilliant > idea. > > Therefore I am doing chemo first, six month's worth, to shrink the > tumor so > > that I have have a partial radical mastectomy and feel relatively > confidant > > that the surgery won't actually make the cancer spread. > Fortunately, it had > > only spread in my breast, not the rest of my body. Then I get > radiation and > > because my tumor is hormone responsive I get five years of hormone > therapy. > > Sounds similar to your diagnosis except nothing was remotely > inconclusive. > > It was definitely cancer and pretty bad at that. I don't know what > stage it > > is because they had to put off any surgery, even lymph nodes. And > when they > > finally do the surgery, if my lymph nodes are clear, no one will > know if > > it's because they were clear all along or if the chemo killed off > any > > cancer in them. My oncologist guessed I was probably Stage III. > > > > I don't actually know what " margins " means. I could try to look > through my > > cancer notes but that kind of stuff depresses and frightens me. I'd > guess > > it means maybe non-cancerous tissue between areas of cancer? Or > > non-cancerous issue between a tumor and, say, a bone or a lung or > something > > you can't cut through during surgery. I'm guessing my " margins " > were too > > small for a safe surgery which is why I'm doing the chemo first. > But that's > > just a guess. > > > > I thought everyone with bc started with surgery, too, but not me. > It was > > kind of funny. The surgeon said he thought the oncologist would > want to do > > chemo first. The oncologist said she thought the surgeon would want > to do > > chemo first. It was like no one wanted to take responsibility for > saying > > " Do chemo first! " . At the beginning I felt weird still having the > tumor in > > me, but I'm used to it now and it's shrinking so I don't mind. > Though I > > will be VERY glad when I finally get rid of it. I was diagnosed in > June > > 2002 and will be done with all the treatment somewhere around > spring of > > 2003. And if I am part of the 40% in my situation for which the > cancer > > returns within two years I am going to be really mad!!! I'd hate to > go > > through all this for nothing. Since I'm getting a partial radical > > mastectomy, it's not like it can come back in my breast and I can > go > > through the whole nine yards again. My doctor said if it comes back > now, > > it's " treatable but terminal " . Which means I guess it's up to me if > I want > > to die on chemo or not. I try not to think about that one too much. > > > > Did that make it any clearer? Doubt it! I don't understand the > entire > > process myself. I don't really want to. I am definitely a bc > coward. Or bc > > ostrich more like it. > > > > Jill > > > > > My history > > >might be totally different from yours, but I'll say it > > >anyway: Mammo in May 2002 showed nothing, end of July > > >doc felt " something, " August needle biopsy was > > >inconclusive, ultra sound was suspicious due to ragged > > >edges but could be a cyst, needle core biopsy showed I > > >had invasive, intraductal breast cancer, partial > > >mastectomy on Aug. 16, (3.7 cm, estrogen +, progestren > > >-, 5 nodes clear, margins clear), CMF chemo started in > > >Sept (for 5-6 months, then radiation for 5-6 weeks, > > >then 5 years of anti-estrogen meds). > > > I thought " clean margins " meant the margins after > > >surgery, or do you mean " not invasive? " What does > > > " initial presentation " mean? I just thought that > > >anyone with breast cancer started with surgery, then > > >there were choices to be made (chemo, radiation, > > >etc.). I trust my doctor " team, " but I just am > > >curious about your experiences. > > >Bye for now, > > >Gloria > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 >Hi, Adrienne. I didn't have the same reaction you did, but I was also hospitalized during my first chemo treatment. In my case, it was because my white blood cell count was just about zero, and a common cold virus could have taken me out. Mostly all I did was stay in an isolated ward and wait for my cell counts to come back up. It was boring. It sounds like your experience was a lot scarier. After I got out of the hospital, though, I was put on a drug that helps white blood cell counts rise up quickly. The reason they don't give it to everyone is that you have to inject yourself ten days in a row! The reason I'm telling you this is that chemo can cause so many different side effects in different people that if we all took preventive medicine for all of them, the side effects of the medicine would probably kill us! Your reaction sounds serious but treatable. I'd guess that the cumadin will work fine and keep you out of the hospital. At least that's what happened in my case. Best of luck, Jill p.s. I'm now on a different chemo (three months of each) and its main side effect so far is pain. My oncologist thinks that if I take it weekly rather than every three weeks I will be in less pain, because the dosage will be lower. But that means I will have to take steroids weekly, which make me depressed, and that I will have to spend one day a week rather than one day out of every 21 days sitting in a chemo chair being bored to death. Wish me luck that I can convince my oncologist I'd rather be in pain than depressed and having to do chemo once a week. Actually I'd rather not be in pain or depressed. Actually I'd rather not need chemo, but if wishes were horses then I'd have wheels. No, hoofs. Well, you get the point. >I was diagnosed in June 2002 too. I am a bc coward as well and I was >never afraid of anything. Pretty different feelings. >Right now I am going through chemo. I was hospitalized last week for >6 days because I had blood clots in my arm and neck, a reaction to >the port. Has anyone else ever had that. Now I am on cumadin and >waiting to see if Lily strikes. >Stay strong >Adrienne > > > > > > > > > > > > > >-- In breastcancer2@y..., Jill Merrill <merrillcat@r...> wrote: > > > > >Hi Gloria, > > > Somehow, I missed something here. I am totally > > >confused. > > > > Join the club. I am usually totally confused. > > > > > I must have missed your initial letter, so > > >could you repeat your history/diagnosis? > > > > I don't think I posted one. Sorry. What happened was that I somehow >managed > > to forget my yearly mammogram *twice* in a row, particularly stupid >because > > my mom died of bc. By " initial presentation " I meant that's the >term the > > docs use for what shape a patient is in when they are first seen >and > > diagnosed. After the biopsy from h*ll, I was diagnosed with >invasive > > intraductal (or maybe interductal, I forget; it spread through my >ducts) > > cancer. My tumor was 2.5 inches big, not so terrible, but it had >spread > > through all three of the breast ducts they biopsied and was located >in such > > a place that surgery would have been dangerous because it would >have been > > hard to avoid cutting right through the cancer, not a brilliant >idea. > > Therefore I am doing chemo first, six month's worth, to shrink the >tumor so > > that I have have a partial radical mastectomy and feel relatively >confidant > > that the surgery won't actually make the cancer spread. >Fortunately, it had > > only spread in my breast, not the rest of my body. Then I get >radiation and > > because my tumor is hormone responsive I get five years of hormone >therapy. > > Sounds similar to your diagnosis except nothing was remotely >inconclusive. > > It was definitely cancer and pretty bad at that. I don't know what >stage it > > is because they had to put off any surgery, even lymph nodes. And >when they > > finally do the surgery, if my lymph nodes are clear, no one will >know if > > it's because they were clear all along or if the chemo killed off >any > > cancer in them. My oncologist guessed I was probably Stage III. > > > > I don't actually know what " margins " means. I could try to look >through my > > cancer notes but that kind of stuff depresses and frightens me. I'd >guess > > it means maybe non-cancerous tissue between areas of cancer? Or > > non-cancerous issue between a tumor and, say, a bone or a lung or >something > > you can't cut through during surgery. I'm guessing my " margins " >were too > > small for a safe surgery which is why I'm doing the chemo first. >But that's > > just a guess. > > > > I thought everyone with bc started with surgery, too, but not me. >It was > > kind of funny. The surgeon said he thought the oncologist would >want to do > > chemo first. The oncologist said she thought the surgeon would want >to do > > chemo first. It was like no one wanted to take responsibility for >saying > > " Do chemo first! " . At the beginning I felt weird still having the >tumor in > > me, but I'm used to it now and it's shrinking so I don't mind. >Though I > > will be VERY glad when I finally get rid of it. I was diagnosed in >June > > 2002 and will be done with all the treatment somewhere around >spring of > > 2003. And if I am part of the 40% in my situation for which the >cancer > > returns within two years I am going to be really mad!!! I'd hate to >go > > through all this for nothing. Since I'm getting a partial radical > > mastectomy, it's not like it can come back in my breast and I can >go > > through the whole nine yards again. My doctor said if it comes back >now, > > it's " treatable but terminal " . Which means I guess it's up to me if >I want > > to die on chemo or not. I try not to think about that one too much. > > > > Did that make it any clearer? Doubt it! I don't understand the >entire > > process myself. I don't really want to. I am definitely a bc >coward. Or bc > > ostrich more like it. > > > > Jill > > > > > My history > > >might be totally different from yours, but I'll say it > > >anyway: Mammo in May 2002 showed nothing, end of July > > >doc felt " something, " August needle biopsy was > > >inconclusive, ultra sound was suspicious due to ragged > > >edges but could be a cyst, needle core biopsy showed I > > >had invasive, intraductal breast cancer, partial > > >mastectomy on Aug. 16, (3.7 cm, estrogen +, progestren > > >-, 5 nodes clear, margins clear), CMF chemo started in > > >Sept (for 5-6 months, then radiation for 5-6 weeks, > > >then 5 years of anti-estrogen meds). > > > I thought " clean margins " meant the margins after > > >surgery, or do you mean " not invasive? " What does > > > " initial presentation " mean? I just thought that > > >anyone with breast cancer started with surgery, then > > >there were choices to be made (chemo, radiation, > > >etc.). I trust my doctor " team, " but I just am > > >curious about your experiences. > > >Bye for now, > > >Gloria > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Prayers for you Cheryl that you are safe. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at: http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html Re: Jill and blood clots Hey Cheryl. I live i New Orleans and am hoping Lili just goes away. I hope yu are safe. Thanks for all your support/ Adrienne > > > > >Hi Gloria, > > > Somehow, I missed something here. I am totally > > >confused. > > > > Join the club. I am usually totally confused. > > > > > I must have missed your initial letter, so > > >could you repeat your history/diagnosis? > > > > I don't think I posted one. Sorry. What happened was that I somehow > managed > > to forget my yearly mammogram *twice* in a row, particularly stupid > because > > my mom died of bc. By " initial presentation " I meant that's the > term the > > docs use for what shape a patient is in when they are first seen > and > > diagnosed. After the biopsy from h*ll, I was diagnosed with > invasive > > intraductal (or maybe interductal, I forget; it spread through my > ducts) > > cancer. My tumor was 2.5 inches big, not so terrible, but it had > spread > > through all three of the breast ducts they biopsied and was located > in such > > a place that surgery would have been dangerous because it would > have been > > hard to avoid cutting right through the cancer, not a brilliant > idea. > > Therefore I am doing chemo first, six month's worth, to shrink the > tumor so > > that I have have a partial radical mastectomy and feel relatively > confidant > > that the surgery won't actually make the cancer spread. > Fortunately, it had > > only spread in my breast, not the rest of my body. Then I get > radiation and > > because my tumor is hormone responsive I get five years of hormone > therapy. > > Sounds similar to your diagnosis except nothing was remotely > inconclusive. > > It was definitely cancer and pretty bad at that. I don't know what > stage it > > is because they had to put off any surgery, even lymph nodes. And > when they > > finally do the surgery, if my lymph nodes are clear, no one will > know if > > it's because they were clear all along or if the chemo killed off > any > > cancer in them. My oncologist guessed I was probably Stage III. > > > > I don't actually know what " margins " means. I could try to look > through my > > cancer notes but that kind of stuff depresses and frightens me. I'd > guess > > it means maybe non-cancerous tissue between areas of cancer? Or > > non-cancerous issue between a tumor and, say, a bone or a lung or > something > > you can't cut through during surgery. I'm guessing my " margins " > were too > > small for a safe surgery which is why I'm doing the chemo first. > But that's > > just a guess. > > > > I thought everyone with bc started with surgery, too, but not me. > It was > > kind of funny. The surgeon said he thought the oncologist would > want to do > > chemo first. The oncologist said she thought the surgeon would want > to do > > chemo first. It was like no one wanted to take responsibility for > saying > > " Do chemo first! " . At the beginning I felt weird still having the > tumor in > > me, but I'm used to it now and it's shrinking so I don't mind. > Though I > > will be VERY glad when I finally get rid of it. I was diagnosed in > June > > 2002 and will be done with all the treatment somewhere around > spring of > > 2003. And if I am part of the 40% in my situation for which the > cancer > > returns within two years I am going to be really mad!!! I'd hate to > go > > through all this for nothing. Since I'm getting a partial radical > > mastectomy, it's not like it can come back in my breast and I can > go > > through the whole nine yards again. My doctor said if it comes back > now, > > it's " treatable but terminal " . Which means I guess it's up to me if > I want > > to die on chemo or not. I try not to think about that one too much. > > > > Did that make it any clearer? Doubt it! I don't understand the > entire > > process myself. I don't really want to. I am definitely a bc > coward. Or bc > > ostrich more like it. > > > > Jill > > > > > My history > > >might be totally different from yours, but I'll say it > > >anyway: Mammo in May 2002 showed nothing, end of July > > >doc felt " something, " August needle biopsy was > > >inconclusive, ultra sound was suspicious due to ragged > > >edges but could be a cyst, needle core biopsy showed I > > >had invasive, intraductal breast cancer, partial > > >mastectomy on Aug. 16, (3.7 cm, estrogen +, progestren > > >-, 5 nodes clear, margins clear), CMF chemo started in > > >Sept (for 5-6 months, then radiation for 5-6 weeks, > > >then 5 years of anti-estrogen meds). > > > I thought " clean margins " meant the margins after > > >surgery, or do you mean " not invasive? " What does > > > " initial presentation " mean? I just thought that > > >anyone with breast cancer started with surgery, then > > >there were choices to be made (chemo, radiation, > > >etc.). I trust my doctor " team, " but I just am > > >curious about your experiences. > > >Bye for now, > > >Gloria > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Thanks, Cheryl, but maybe it's time to move your big beautiful pillow self to somewhere a little bit physically safer! You must feel like you're living in a ghost town if everyone has evacuated except for emergency personnel. Jill >i like to say this we all are cowards with this disease when they told me >i just broke down right in front of the whole team of drs said cut it off >now i was so scared the initial shock bc i'm going to die and its scary >and heh girl we all know how you feel sweetie we all been down that road >and the love from your family helps a lot i recover and now i try to help >those who going through it now i been there already so i know we all know >how your heart feels right now and girl i have my arm around you saying >its going to be ok my prayers and love are with you like i said before >you need a pillow to lie your head ON I'M HERE >CHERYL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 I had to have my port removed last february - it was put in in June of 2000. They said either the port malfunctioned or the tamoxifen caused the blood clots in my arm and neck. They took my port out and took me off tamoxifen and put me on arimedex. It was a very scary time, but i survived. I did not realize for two weeks that I had something wrong with my arm - I was very lucky. I was on coumadin for 3 months. Now just aspirin. I hope you feel better and get over all this very soon - there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Is it taxol they are putting you on for the pain. If it is - i had that also - makes you feel like your having a heartattack in the chest and your limbs are being torn off. Ultram worked for me. Get well soon Lyn Hager in Sunny Florida Re: Jill and blood clots >Hi, Adrienne. I didn't have the same reaction you did, but I was also hospitalized during my first chemo treatment. In my case, it was because my white blood cell count was just about zero, and a common cold virus could have taken me out. Mostly all I did was stay in an isolated ward and wait for my cell counts to come back up. It was boring. It sounds like your experience was a lot scarier. After I got out of the hospital, though, I was put on a drug that helps white blood cell counts rise up quickly. The reason they don't give it to everyone is that you have to inject yourself ten days in a row! The reason I'm telling you this is that chemo can cause so many different side effects in different people that if we all took preventive medicine for all of them, the side effects of the medicine would probably kill us! Your reaction sounds serious but treatable. I'd guess that the cumadin will work fine and keep you out of the hospital. At least that's what happened in my case. Best of luck, Jill p.s. I'm now on a different chemo (three months of each) and its main side effect so far is pain. My oncologist thinks that if I take it weekly rather than every three weeks I will be in less pain, because the dosage will be lower. But that means I will have to take steroids weekly, which make me depressed, and that I will have to spend one day a week rather than one day out of every 21 days sitting in a chemo chair being bored to death. Wish me luck that I can convince my oncologist I'd rather be in pain than depressed and having to do chemo once a week. Actually I'd rather not be in pain or depressed. Actually I'd rather not need chemo, but if wishes were horses then I'd have wheels. No, hoofs. Well, you get the point. >I was diagnosed in June 2002 too. I am a bc coward as well and I was >never afraid of anything. Pretty different feelings. >Right now I am going through chemo. I was hospitalized last week for >6 days because I had blood clots in my arm and neck, a reaction to >the port. Has anyone else ever had that. Now I am on cumadin and >waiting to see if Lily strikes. >Stay strong >Adrienne > > > > > > > > > > > > > >-- In breastcancer2@y..., Jill Merrill <merrillcat@r...> wrote: > > > > >Hi Gloria, > > > Somehow, I missed something here. I am totally > > >confused. > > > > Join the club. I am usually totally confused. > > > > > I must have missed your initial letter, so > > >could you repeat your history/diagnosis? > > > > I don't think I posted one. Sorry. What happened was that I somehow >managed > > to forget my yearly mammogram *twice* in a row, particularly stupid >because > > my mom died of bc. By " initial presentation " I meant that's the >term the > > docs use for what shape a patient is in when they are first seen >and > > diagnosed. After the biopsy from h*ll, I was diagnosed with >invasive > > intraductal (or maybe interductal, I forget; it spread through my >ducts) > > cancer. My tumor was 2.5 inches big, not so terrible, but it had >spread > > through all three of the breast ducts they biopsied and was located >in such > > a place that surgery would have been dangerous because it would >have been > > hard to avoid cutting right through the cancer, not a brilliant >idea. > > Therefore I am doing chemo first, six month's worth, to shrink the >tumor so > > that I have have a partial radical mastectomy and feel relatively >confidant > > that the surgery won't actually make the cancer spread. >Fortunately, it had > > only spread in my breast, not the rest of my body. Then I get >radiation and > > because my tumor is hormone responsive I get five years of hormone >therapy. > > Sounds similar to your diagnosis except nothing was remotely >inconclusive. > > It was definitely cancer and pretty bad at that. I don't know what >stage it > > is because they had to put off any surgery, even lymph nodes. And >when they > > finally do the surgery, if my lymph nodes are clear, no one will >know if > > it's because they were clear all along or if the chemo killed off >any > > cancer in them. My oncologist guessed I was probably Stage III. > > > > I don't actually know what " margins " means. I could try to look >through my > > cancer notes but that kind of stuff depresses and frightens me. I'd >guess > > it means maybe non-cancerous tissue between areas of cancer? Or > > non-cancerous issue between a tumor and, say, a bone or a lung or >something > > you can't cut through during surgery. I'm guessing my " margins " >were too > > small for a safe surgery which is why I'm doing the chemo first. >But that's > > just a guess. > > > > I thought everyone with bc started with surgery, too, but not me. >It was > > kind of funny. The surgeon said he thought the oncologist would >want to do > > chemo first. The oncologist said she thought the surgeon would want >to do > > chemo first. It was like no one wanted to take responsibility for >saying > > " Do chemo first! " . At the beginning I felt weird still having the >tumor in > > me, but I'm used to it now and it's shrinking so I don't mind. >Though I > > will be VERY glad when I finally get rid of it. I was diagnosed in >June > > 2002 and will be done with all the treatment somewhere around >spring of > > 2003. And if I am part of the 40% in my situation for which the >cancer > > returns within two years I am going to be really mad!!! I'd hate to >go > > through all this for nothing. Since I'm getting a partial radical > > mastectomy, it's not like it can come back in my breast and I can >go > > through the whole nine yards again. My doctor said if it comes back >now, > > it's " treatable but terminal " . Which means I guess it's up to me if >I want > > to die on chemo or not. I try not to think about that one too much. > > > > Did that make it any clearer? Doubt it! I don't understand the >entire > > process myself. I don't really want to. I am definitely a bc >coward. Or bc > > ostrich more like it. > > > > Jill > > > > > My history > > >might be totally different from yours, but I'll say it > > >anyway: Mammo in May 2002 showed nothing, end of July > > >doc felt " something, " August needle biopsy was > > >inconclusive, ultra sound was suspicious due to ragged > > >edges but could be a cyst, needle core biopsy showed I > > >had invasive, intraductal breast cancer, partial > > >mastectomy on Aug. 16, (3.7 cm, estrogen +, progestren > > >-, 5 nodes clear, margins clear), CMF chemo started in > > >Sept (for 5-6 months, then radiation for 5-6 weeks, > > >then 5 years of anti-estrogen meds). > > > I thought " clean margins " meant the margins after > > >surgery, or do you mean " not invasive? " What does > > > " initial presentation " mean? I just thought that > > >anyone with breast cancer started with surgery, then > > >there were choices to be made (chemo, radiation, > > >etc.). I trust my doctor " team, " but I just am > > >curious about your experiences. > > >Bye for now, > > >Gloria > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 -Hey cheryl, I am in New Orleans. I think I wil leave this afternoon to go to Abita Springs so I can be with my daughter. Please pray for her She has a big wedding planned for Friday amnd we hope that lily has not invited herself. and with me being in the hospital last week and all the cancer stuff and she is in school, she has decided she is not cancelling no matter what. She says she just can't do it all again. Too much stress anyway stay safe Adrien ne s -- In breastcancer2@y..., " tcbangels " <tcbangels@p...> wrote: > ADRIENNE were you live i guess somewhere around coast i'm waiting until tomorrow evening before i leave its due to hit Cameron by Thursday almost everybody gone here lots left on volunteer i'm waiting it out to see what happens, > Jill > i like to say this we all are cowards with this disease when they told me i just broke down right in front of the whole team of drs said cut it off now i was so scared the initial shock bc i'm going to die and its scary and heh girl we all know how you feel sweetie we all been down that road and the love from your family helps a lot i recover and now i try to help those who going through it now i been there already so i know we all know how your heart feels right now and girl i have my arm around you saying its going to be ok my prayers and love are with you like i said before you need a pillow to lie your head ON I'M HERE > CHERYL > Re: Jill and blood clots > > > -Hi Jill, > I was diagnosed in June 2002 too. I am a bc coward as well and I was > never afraid of anything. Pretty different feelings. > Right now I am going through chemo. I was hospitalized last week for > 6 days because I had blood clots in my arm and neck, a reaction to > the port. Has anyone else ever had that. Now I am on cumadin and > waiting to see if Lily strikes. > Stay strong > Adrienne > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- In breastcancer2@y..., Jill Merrill <merrillcat@r...> wrote: > > > > >Hi Gloria, > > > Somehow, I missed something here. I am totally > > >confused. > > > > Join the club. I am usually totally confused. > > > > > I must have missed your initial letter, so > > >could you repeat your history/diagnosis? > > > > I don't think I posted one. Sorry. What happened was that I somehow > managed > > to forget my yearly mammogram *twice* in a row, particularly stupid > because > > my mom died of bc. By " initial presentation " I meant that's the > term the > > docs use for what shape a patient is in when they are first seen > and > > diagnosed. After the biopsy from h*ll, I was diagnosed with > invasive > > intraductal (or maybe interductal, I forget; it spread through my > ducts) > > cancer. My tumor was 2.5 inches big, not so terrible, but it had > spread > > through all three of the breast ducts they biopsied and was located > in such > > a place that surgery would have been dangerous because it would > have been > > hard to avoid cutting right through the cancer, not a brilliant > idea. > > Therefore I am doing chemo first, six month's worth, to shrink the > tumor so > > that I have have a partial radical mastectomy and feel relatively > confidant > > that the surgery won't actually make the cancer spread. > Fortunately, it had > > only spread in my breast, not the rest of my body. Then I get > radiation and > > because my tumor is hormone responsive I get five years of hormone > therapy. > > Sounds similar to your diagnosis except nothing was remotely > inconclusive. > > It was definitely cancer and pretty bad at that. I don't know what > stage it > > is because they had to put off any surgery, even lymph nodes. And > when they > > finally do the surgery, if my lymph nodes are clear, no one will > know if > > it's because they were clear all along or if the chemo killed off > any > > cancer in them. My oncologist guessed I was probably Stage III. > > > > I don't actually know what " margins " means. I could try to look > through my > > cancer notes but that kind of stuff depresses and frightens me. I'd > guess > > it means maybe non-cancerous tissue between areas of cancer? Or > > non-cancerous issue between a tumor and, say, a bone or a lung or > something > > you can't cut through during surgery. I'm guessing my " margins " > were too > > small for a safe surgery which is why I'm doing the chemo first. > But that's > > just a guess. > > > > I thought everyone with bc started with surgery, too, but not me. > It was > > kind of funny. The surgeon said he thought the oncologist would > want to do > > chemo first. The oncologist said she thought the surgeon would want > to do > > chemo first. It was like no one wanted to take responsibility for > saying > > " Do chemo first! " . At the beginning I felt weird still having the > tumor in > > me, but I'm used to it now and it's shrinking so I don't mind. > Though I > > will be VERY glad when I finally get rid of it. I was diagnosed in > June > > 2002 and will be done with all the treatment somewhere around > spring of > > 2003. And if I am part of the 40% in my situation for which the > cancer > > returns within two years I am going to be really mad!!! I'd hate to > go > > through all this for nothing. Since I'm getting a partial radical > > mastectomy, it's not like it can come back in my breast and I can > go > > through the whole nine yards again. My doctor said if it comes back > now, > > it's " treatable but terminal " . Which means I guess it's up to me if > I want > > to die on chemo or not. I try not to think about that one too much. > > > > Did that make it any clearer? Doubt it! I don't understand the > entire > > process myself. I don't really want to. I am definitely a bc > coward. Or bc > > ostrich more like it. > > > > Jill > > > > > My history > > >might be totally different from yours, but I'll say it > > >anyway: Mammo in May 2002 showed nothing, end of July > > >doc felt " something, " August needle biopsy was > > >inconclusive, ultra sound was suspicious due to ragged > > >edges but could be a cyst, needle core biopsy showed I > > >had invasive, intraductal breast cancer, partial > > >mastectomy on Aug. 16, (3.7 cm, estrogen +, progestren > > >-, 5 nodes clear, margins clear), CMF chemo started in > > >Sept (for 5-6 months, then radiation for 5-6 weeks, > > >then 5 years of anti-estrogen meds). > > > I thought " clean margins " meant the margins after > > >surgery, or do you mean " not invasive? " What does > > > " initial presentation " mean? I just thought that > > >anyone with breast cancer started with surgery, then > > >there were choices to be made (chemo, radiation, > > >etc.). I trust my doctor " team, " but I just am > > >curious about your experiences. > > >Bye for now, > > >Gloria > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Adrienne, I will keep you and your daughter in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at: http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html Re: Jill and blood clots > > > -Hi Jill, > I was diagnosed in June 2002 too. I am a bc coward as well and I was > never afraid of anything. Pretty different feelings. > Right now I am going through chemo. I was hospitalized last week for > 6 days because I had blood clots in my arm and neck, a reaction to > the port. Has anyone else ever had that. Now I am on cumadin and > waiting to see if Lily strikes. > Stay strong > Adrienne > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- In breastcancer2@y..., Jill Merrill <merrillcat@r...> wrote: > > > > >Hi Gloria, > > > Somehow, I missed something here. I am totally > > >confused. > > > > Join the club. I am usually totally confused. > > > > > I must have missed your initial letter, so > > >could you repeat your history/diagnosis? > > > > I don't think I posted one. Sorry. What happened was that I somehow > managed > > to forget my yearly mammogram *twice* in a row, particularly stupid > because > > my mom died of bc. By " initial presentation " I meant that's the > term the > > docs use for what shape a patient is in when they are first seen > and > > diagnosed. After the biopsy from h*ll, I was diagnosed with > invasive > > intraductal (or maybe interductal, I forget; it spread through my > ducts) > > cancer. My tumor was 2.5 inches big, not so terrible, but it had > spread > > through all three of the breast ducts they biopsied and was located > in such > > a place that surgery would have been dangerous because it would > have been > > hard to avoid cutting right through the cancer, not a brilliant > idea. > > Therefore I am doing chemo first, six month's worth, to shrink the > tumor so > > that I have have a partial radical mastectomy and feel relatively > confidant > > that the surgery won't actually make the cancer spread. > Fortunately, it had > > only spread in my breast, not the rest of my body. Then I get > radiation and > > because my tumor is hormone responsive I get five years of hormone > therapy. > > Sounds similar to your diagnosis except nothing was remotely > inconclusive. > > It was definitely cancer and pretty bad at that. I don't know what > stage it > > is because they had to put off any surgery, even lymph nodes. And > when they > > finally do the surgery, if my lymph nodes are clear, no one will > know if > > it's because they were clear all along or if the chemo killed off > any > > cancer in them. My oncologist guessed I was probably Stage III. > > > > I don't actually know what " margins " means. I could try to look > through my > > cancer notes but that kind of stuff depresses and frightens me. I'd > guess > > it means maybe non-cancerous tissue between areas of cancer? Or > > non-cancerous issue between a tumor and, say, a bone or a lung or > something > > you can't cut through during surgery. I'm guessing my " margins " > were too > > small for a safe surgery which is why I'm doing the chemo first. > But that's > > just a guess. > > > > I thought everyone with bc started with surgery, too, but not me. > It was > > kind of funny. The surgeon said he thought the oncologist would > want to do > > chemo first. The oncologist said she thought the surgeon would want > to do > > chemo first. It was like no one wanted to take responsibility for > saying > > " Do chemo first! " . At the beginning I felt weird still having the > tumor in > > me, but I'm used to it now and it's shrinking so I don't mind. > Though I > > will be VERY glad when I finally get rid of it. I was diagnosed in > June > > 2002 and will be done with all the treatment somewhere around > spring of > > 2003. And if I am part of the 40% in my situation for which the > cancer > > returns within two years I am going to be really mad!!! I'd hate to > go > > through all this for nothing. Since I'm getting a partial radical > > mastectomy, it's not like it can come back in my breast and I can > go > > through the whole nine yards again. My doctor said if it comes back > now, > > it's " treatable but terminal " . Which means I guess it's up to me if > I want > > to die on chemo or not. I try not to think about that one too much. > > > > Did that make it any clearer? Doubt it! I don't understand the > entire > > process myself. I don't really want to. I am definitely a bc > coward. Or bc > > ostrich more like it. > > > > Jill > > > > > My history > > >might be totally different from yours, but I'll say it > > >anyway: Mammo in May 2002 showed nothing, end of July > > >doc felt " something, " August needle biopsy was > > >inconclusive, ultra sound was suspicious due to ragged > > >edges but could be a cyst, needle core biopsy showed I > > >had invasive, intraductal breast cancer, partial > > >mastectomy on Aug. 16, (3.7 cm, estrogen +, progestren > > >-, 5 nodes clear, margins clear), CMF chemo started in > > >Sept (for 5-6 months, then radiation for 5-6 weeks, > > >then 5 years of anti-estrogen meds). > > > I thought " clean margins " meant the margins after > > >surgery, or do you mean " not invasive? " What does > > > " initial presentation " mean? I just thought that > > >anyone with breast cancer started with surgery, then > > >there were choices to be made (chemo, radiation, > > >etc.). I trust my doctor " team, " but I just am > > >curious about your experiences. > > >Bye for now, > > >Gloria > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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